Wheel.



J. SPARKS.

APPLICATION FILED`JAN.30,1911.

Fatented Dec. 31, 1912.

SSHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. H. SPARKS.`

WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.30, 1911.

Patented Dec. 31,- i912.

LQQJQ.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. H. SRKS.

WHEEL.

MPL10-M1011 FILED JANfso, 1911.

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Patented Dec. 81, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN sPARKs, or CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

WHEEL.

. specification of Letters Patent. Patented Deo. 313, 191. 2.

Application filed January 30, 1911.. SerialNo. 605,549.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

B e it known thatl, JoiiN HT Sunnis, a citizen of the lnited States,residing Aat Camden, inthe countyv of Camden and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vlieels; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the saine.

Thisiiivention relates to new and useful improvements in wheels, and'more vparticularly to that class in which thev use of the customarypneumatic tires is eliminated.

Another object of this :invention is to iinprove and simplify devicesotthis charac` ter, rendering them comparatively siaiple and inexpensiveto manufacture, reliable and elicient in use, and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view., this invention resides inthenovel features of construction. formations, combinations andarrangements of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described,claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which* Figure 1 isa side elevation of my ,iin proved wheel, partly in section; Fig. 2 asectional view, taken on the line a.-o of 'Fig 1; Fig. is a sectionalview taken on the,- line b-/ of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view takenon the line c--c of Fig. 1; Fig.

5 is a sectional ,view taken oit the line (L-tl of Fig. 1; Fig. G is asectional view.v illustrating iny device with the pneumatic tire-applied thereto; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the spoke supporting,rhead, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view 'ot' one of the spoke= engagingrsprings removed.

Referring to the drawingsby characters ot. ret'crence, the numeral 1designates generally my improved wheel, consisting,r of a hub 2, riin'3, and radially cxtdii'diiig connecting spokes #L The spokes 4 consist`ot pairs of telescopingmenihers 5 and 6, the

12, secured by metal strips 13 to the before mentioned telescopingsections 6. i

llach of the blocks 19. is provided with a longitudinal tongue or flangewhich fits slidably into a corresponding sloty in the topv of each ofthe respective spoke supporting .slots 14.- and 15 respectively, saidslots being normally in alinenientwlien the wheel is not. absorbing jar.The hereinafter mentioned rods 17 extend through these slots and willact as stops for the movement. of said blocks 12 in caseof severe shock,as is evident.

F roni the foregoing, it will be obvious nthat in absorbing'shock theblocks 12 of the twospokes approximately parallel tothe ground may slidedownward on the spoke 'supporting nieinbers 1G. being kept in correctosition bv the tone'ue and slotv envaeeu c. D b

Iinentabove described. Likewise and for the sanie purpose, the. rod 17will travel downward in the slots 14 and 15 in accordance with the hub2, thus allowingthe lower vertical spoke to slightly telescope, thusabsorbing the shock. This vertical spoke ,will

be helped in such absorption by all the spokes below and including thetwo spokes parallel with nthe ground. above mentioned, for they willmove in unison with said two spokes and in so moving will reduce thedistancelbetween their riin aiidhub ends, thus slightly telescoping andcompressing their respective springs.

The spoke-supporting members It are securely retained in their properpositions upon the rim 3 by means of flanges 21. which engage the upperedges of vertically disposed flanges 22 which compose the opposite sidesot'sthe rim 3. Thesetlanges are .normally retained -uponthe' outer ortire# supporting ring 23 by means ot radially eXj tending studs or pins24, which engagn sockets 25. provided at their upper-ends 'ico withlangesti, which engage the upper Aedges of apertures 2T .formed in theretain! ing' flanges 21. through which the sockets 25 are extended.'Suitable nuts 2S engage the threaded ends'of the pins 29. and-aref rct:i i ned against\ displaceinent by cotter pins Q9.

Springs 30 arelocated in the sockets 25" and engage the nuts QS for thepurpose ol' Eg i forcing them upward when the cotter pins the oppositesides'of the said side flanges and by brackets 37, also secured to theside flanges and extending over the rollers and upon'the opposite sidesthereof.

A suitable tire'38, of solid material, is secured to the tire-supportingring 23, but in case it is desired to use a resilient tire in connectionwith this device, a ring 39 is bolted, or otherwise secured, to the ring23, Iand isl provided with outwardly curled edges adapted to engagebeads formed upon the opposite sides of the outer tube of a pneumatictire. 40.

-From the foregoing disclosure, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be manifest that a wheel of the characterdescribed is provided for which will iulil all of the necessaryrequirements of such a devi-ce.

Having thus fully described this invention, what l claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

l.' in a. spring wheel, a hub and a rim, in

combination with spokev supporting ele-` inents secured to said rim,telescopic spokes tixedly secured at one end to said hub and provided attheir routerl ends with 'blocks -slidably engaging .said spokesupporting elements, said blocks and spoke supporting elements beingprovided with slots in alinelnent in a normal position, reinforcing rodssecured to sa id hub extending inside ol? said spokes and passingthrough said slots, and a helical spring located in each spoke andbearing on the opposite internal ends thereof for the purpose setforth.

2. ln aspring wheel, ahub and hollow rim, in combination with spokesupporting elements secured thereto, telescopic spokes f 3. In a spring'wheel, ziphub and hollow rim, in combination with telescopio spokesixedlyfsecured to said hub at their inner ends and slidably engagingsaid rim at their outer ends, helical springs located in said spokes,reinforcing rods secured at their inner ends to said hub, and passingthrough elongated slots in the top of said hollow ri1nand springslocated in said hollow rim and 'triotionally engagingsaid rods to absorbshock. .A

ln testimony whereot 'l affix my signature in presence of tivowitnesses.

JOHN H. SPARKS.

ldfitnesses: Y

` DAN. J. Wooos,

MARCUS K. MINES.

